Axl Rose says death of Nazareth’s Dan McCafferty is “a tough pill to swallow”

Axl Rose has posted a statement honoring late Nazareth vocalist Dan McCafferty, who died November 8 at age 76.

Acknowledging the delay in his response to the news, the Guns N’ Roses rocker writes, “Haven’t addressed this…been a tough pill to swallow…Very, very sad to learn of the passing of Dan McCafferty of Nazareth.”

Rose shares that he learned of McCafferty’s death shortly before taking the stage for a GN’R show and admits he was “in a bit of a surreal headspace on stage for several songs.”

“Went on a Nazareth binge for a few days,” Rose writes. “Thanks Dan n’ all of Nazareth for all the music over the years. Their music n’ Dan’s voice will always have a special place in my heart. Rest in peace Dan.”

McCafferty, Nazarath’s original frontman, sang on hits including “Love Hurts” and “Hair of the Dog,” the latter of which Guns N’ Roses memorably covered on their 1993 record “The Spaghetti Incident?”